This 10-ingredient Cheesy Ham and Potato Casserole will truly put a smile on your face. It's so easy to make using frozen potatoes that are mixed with veggies, ham, and cheese for ooey, gooey goodness in every bite. In just an hour, you can have this main course or side dish on the dinner table.
This is the ultimate Cheesy Ham and Potato Casserole. A delicious homemade cream sauce coats frozen diced potatoes for a store-bought solution that makes this recipe extra easy. With just 10 ingredients that are all simple to find, it's a brunch, side dish, or easy dinner for a weeknight or a crowd.
This recipe is truly a favorite in my family, we make it on a regular basis and have also served it around the holidays too. It's especially delicious using leftover holiday ham.
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Table of Contents
Why You'll Love this Recipe
- Crowd-pleasing main course or side dish. This Ham and Cheese Potato Casserole recipe is so easy to make, any beginner cook can learn to cook it up to perfection. Plus it's something your friends and family will ask for time and time again.
- Approachable and affordable ingredients. None of the ingredients are difficult to find and also won't cost a fortune, making it the ideal recipe to feed a crowd.
- Make ahead magic recipe. You can prep this ahead of time and pop it into the freezer for a busy weeknight, or keep it in the fridge for up to a day before baking.
Laura Ashley's Tip: In this recipe, we teach you to make a bechamel sauce. A basic cream sauce made on the stove with butter, flour, and milk. We then stir cheese into ours, but it's so simple to make and very versatile!
Ingredients
Scroll Down for Ingredient Amounts Listed in the Recipe Card Below
- Salted butter: The fat for cooking the vegetables and making the roux, can never go wrong.
- Cooked ham: Gives a smoky, meaty flavor that's oh so good. Thicker sliced ham is preferred in this case.
- Diced onion: Adds a savory, vegetable note to the base of the casserole.
- All-purpose flour. Thickens the casserole perfectly.
- Whole milk: Gives that nice creamy texture to the bake.
- Garlic powder: Infuses with sweet garlic flavor.
- Onion powder: Adds a hint of onion sweetness in every bite.
- Sharp cheddar cheese: A punch of cheesy goodness that pairs so nicely with the potatoes.
- Shredded mozzarella cheese: Adds that gooey cheesy touch required in this type of casserole.
- Frozen diced potatoes: The store-bought solution that makes this recipe so easy!
Tools You'll Need
- Large Skillet
- Spatula
- Measuring Cups and Spoons
- Liquid Measuring Cups
- Mixing Bowls
- Spatula
- 13"x9" Baking Dish
- Cheese Grater
How to Make Cheesy Ham and Potato Casserole
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 13"x9" baking dish.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of the butter in a medium skillet on medium-high heat. Once hot, add diced ham and onion. Cook until the onion is translucent and ham is starts to brown. Remove from the skillet to a bowl, and set aside.
- In the same skillet, turn the heat to medium, and melt the remaining butter. Whisk in flour and cook 1-2 minutes, until the mixture is bubbly and lightly golden brown.
- Add the milk, continuing to whisk periodically until the mixture thickens, about 3-5 minutes. Stir in garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper.
- Add 2 cups of the shredded sharp cheddar cheese, and stir until the cheese is completely melted and the sauce is smooth. Remove from heat.
- In a large bowl, combine the frozen diced potatoes, cooked ham and onions, and cheese sauce. Stir until everything is well coated. Season with additional salt and pepper if desired.
- Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish and spread out evenly.
- Sprinkle the remaining shredded sharp cheddar cheese and mozzarella cheese evenly over the top.
- Bake 45-50 minutes, or until the casserole is bubbly and the top is golden brown. Remove from the oven and let it sit for a few minutes. Garnish with chopped parsley or sliced green onions, if desired.
Expert Tips
- Grate your cheese fresh rather than pre-grated. The already grated cheese has a powdery coating on it that can prevent it from melting nicely.
- Use leftover ham. This is ideal for any leftover ham from a holiday meal! Great for brunch, lunch or dinner.
- Add other spices to change the flavors. Dry mustard powder, thyme, and even a punch of nutmeg would all be delicious.
- Swap out the cheese. We also love gruyere, fontina, gouda, or white cheddar with this recipe.
- Swap out the ham. We also love making this with 8-12 ounces sausage or bacon. If using sausage, crumble it while cooking. If using bacon, cook the slices then chop into small pieces once they cool. With either, drain the pan of the grease from the pan before making the cheese sauce, and adjust the salt content if desired.
- Avoid over baking this casserole. The cheesy sauce is very forgiving, but it's still important to follow the bake time so it isn't dry.
Storage
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. You can also freeze the casserole before or after it's been baked. Just be sure to wrap it tightly in plastic wrap. Defrost on the counter for a couple of hours and then bake to perfection.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, this is a great recipe for leftover ham after a holiday meal. It has great flavor in each bite.
This is the perfect casserole to make in advance. Simply mix the ingredients and refrigerate the casserole up to a day in advance. You can also freeze the casserole up to two months in advance and thaw for a few hours before baking.
Yes, use your favorite types. We also recommend white cheddar, gruyere, gouda, or fontina.
Of course! You will want to par-boil the potatoes and let them cool before adding them to the casserole.
More Easy Casserole Recipes
- Chicken and Swiss Casserole
- Tuna Noodle Casserole
- Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole
- Crockpot Chicken and Stuffing Casserole
Cheesy Ham and Potato Casserole
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons butter divided
- 12 ounces cooked ham
- ½ cup diced onion
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups milk
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon salt more to taste
- ½ teaspoon black pepper more to taste
- 3 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese divided
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 32 ounce bag frozen diced potatoes
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 13"x9" baking dish.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of the butter in a medium skillet on medium-high heat. Once hot, add diced ham and onion. Cook until the onion is translucent and ham is starts to brown. Remove from the skillet to a bowl, and set aside.
- In the same skillet, turn the heat to medium, and melt the remaining butter. Whisk in flour and cook 1-2 minutes, until the mixture is bubbly and lightly golden brown.
- Add the milk, continuing to whisk periodically until the mixture thickens, about 3-5 minutes. Stir in garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper.
- Add 2 cups of the shredded sharp cheddar cheese, and stir until the cheese is completely melted and the sauce is smooth. Remove from heat.
- In a large bowl, combine the frozen diced potatoes, cooked ham and onions, and cheese sauce. Stir until everything is well coated. Season with additional salt and pepper if desired.
- Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish and spread out evenly.
- Sprinkle the remaining shredded sharp cheddar cheese and mozzarella cheese evenly over the top.
- Bake 45-50 minutes, or until the casserole is bubbly and the top is golden brown. Remove from the oven and let it sit for a few minutes. Garnish with chopped parsley or sliced green onions, if desired.
Video
Notes
- Grate your cheese fresh rather than pre-grated. The already grated cheese has a powdery coating on it that can prevent it from melting nicely.
- Use leftover ham. This is ideal for any leftover ham from a holiday meal! Great for brunch, lunch or dinner.
- Add other spices to change the flavors. Dry mustard powder, thyme, and even a punch of nutmeg would all be delicious.
- Swap out the cheese. We also love gruyere, fontina, gouda, or white cheddar with this recipe.
- Swap out the ham. We also love making this with 8-12 ounces sausage or bacon. If using sausage, crumble it while cooking. If using bacon, cook the slices then chop into small pieces once they cool. With either, drain the pan of the grease from the pan before making the cheese sauce, and adjust the salt content if desired.
- Avoid over baking this casserole. The cheesy sauce is very forgiving, but it's still important to follow the bake time so it isn't dry.
Connie
This was delicious, and the leftovers were great with a fried egg for breakfast. I’ll be taking this to the next church potluck!
Laura Ashley
This makes my heart so happy to read! Thank you so much! I"m so happy you made it and liked it so much!
Kim Taylor
I used fresh potatoes I didn’t parboil them. The casserole has a great flavor but it was soupy. What did I do wrong?
Laura Ashley
You will want to par-boil the potatoes and let them cool before adding them to the casserole.
Gale Tucker
Looking forward to making this! A change from using soup in the recipe. But I want to get it right before I cook. You didn't say to thaw the potatoes first, so it's okay to put the potatoes in while still frozen?
Laura Ashley
It is so delicious, and I hope you love it too! I normally just get all my ingredients out on the counter, make the sauce, then mix everything in the bowl. The potatoes are perfect every time 🙂 The heat of the cheese sauce and ham tempers them.